Stereotypy Research Articles

Deficiency of FABP7 Triggers Premature Neural Differentiation in Idiopathic Normocephalic Autism Organoids

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is caused by heterogeneous genetic and environmental factors, is characterized by diverse clinical phenotypes linked to distinct pathological mechanisms. ASD individuals with a shared clinical phenotype might contribute to revealing the molecular mechanism underlying ASD progression. Here, it is generated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)‐derived cerebral organoids from normocephalic individuals with ASD in a prospective birth cohort with a shared clinical diagnosis. Multiple cell lines and time series scRNA‐seq combined with a histomorphological analysis revealed premature neural differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) and decreased expression of Fatty acid binding protein 7 (FABP7) in ASD organoids. It is subsequently revealed alterations in the phosphorylation levels of Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2), which are downstream of FABP7, and the regulation of the FABP7/MEK pathway reversed improper neural differentiation in the ASD organoids. Moreover, both Fabp7‐knockdown and MEK2‐overexpressing mice exhibited repetitive stereotyped behaviors and social defects relevant to autism. This study reveals the role of the FABP7/MEK pathway in abnormal NSC differentiation in normocephalic individuals with ASD, which might provide a promising therapeutic target for ASD treatment.

ErbB inhibition rescues nigral dopamine neuron hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome.

Repetitive stereotyped behaviors are core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS), the prevalent genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism. The nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) circuit rules movement and creation of habits and sequential behaviors; therefore, its dysregulation could promote autistic repetitive behaviors. Nevertheless, inspection of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) DA neurons in ASD models has been overlooked and specific evidence of their altered activity in ASD and FXS is absent. Here, we show that hyperactivity of SNpc DA neurons is an early feature of FXS. The underlying mechanism relies on an interplay between metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) and ErbB tyrosine kinases, receptors for the neurotrophic and differentiation factors known as neuregulins. Up-regulation of ErbB4 and ErbB2 in nigral DA neurons drives neuronal hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors of the FXS mouse, concurrently rescued by ErbB inhibition. In conclusion, beyond providing the first evidence that nigral DA neuron hyperactivity is a signature of FXS and nigral mGluR1 and ErbB4/2 play a relevant role in FXS etiology, we demonstrate that inhibiting ErbB is a valuable pharmacological approach to attenuate stereotyped repetitive behaviors, thus opening an avenue toward innovative therapies for ASD and FXS treatment.

Characterization and Outcomes of Profoundly and Non-profoundly Autistic Individuals Admitted to a Specialized Psychiatric Inpatient Unit.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently estimated to be 1 in 36 children. While much is known about the impact of ASD on family and community functioning as well as treatment outcomes, less is known about a relatively new categorization of ASD, called "profound autism." The current study evaluated 14 consecutively admitted patients meeting criteria for profound autism to a specialized psychiatric inpatient and partial hospitalization program. We then selected 15 non-profoundly autistic youth admitted immediately before or after each profoundly autistic youth to serve as a comparison. Patient caregivers completed measures about parental stress and the severity and frequency of patient problem behavior, and patients participated in functional analyses of problem behavior and function-based treatment programs during their admission. Results showed profoundly autistic youth spent an average of 14 more days admitted to the psychiatric unit, and they engaged in higher parent-reported severity and frequency of self-injurious and stereotypic behavior. Functional analysis results for profoundly autistic youth showed a higher occurrence of automatically reinforced problem behavior but otherwise similar results. As well, profoundly autistic youth showed a lower percentage reduction in problem behavior at the end of the psychiatric hospitalization than their non-profoundly autistic peers. Profoundly autistic youth seem to require a high level of behavioral support, even after psychiatric hospitalization. Insurance companies and therapists need to recognize these challenges and invest sufficient resources to meet their treatment needs.

Gender and migration: A continuum of gender-based violence echoing across the Sinai Desert and into Israel

Gender-based violence (GBV) is widespread globally and is based on social roles. These social roles represent society’s expectations of men and women carrying out stereotyped functions and behaviours. These gendered social expectations vary across culture, space and time. Drawing from an empirical study in Israel and building on the previous literature on these issues, this qualitative and interdisciplinary article identifies various forms of GBV along Eritrean women’s journey from their home country into Israel. The empirical work helps to examine the findings of previous theoretical studies. This article establishes that there is a continuum of violence for women, especially refugees and asylum seekers, rooted in the standard system of oppression – patriarchy. This has triggered the flight and trafficking of refugees from Eritrea through the Sinai Desert and into Israel. The article argues that structural and cultural violence emanating from both the hosted community and the host community play significant roles in allowing the circumstances for GBV to thrive throughout the entire refugee cycle. What can be seen is the creation of multiple layers of vulnerabilities, particularly the specific social–legal–economic marginalization of segments of the population, including Eritrean asylum-seeking women. Reacting to this continuum of violence, many participants in the study argued that it was necessary to adopt strategies to create a continuum of resilience and resistance grounded on women’s sorority, support and agency.

Analysis of the impact of environmental enrichment on the behaviors of bioterium rats

Rats are often used in experimental research due to their intelligence and ease of handling. However, traditional housing conditions can limit their natural behaviors, potentially leading to discomfort. Environmental enrichment aims to increase behavioral diversity, promote healthy behaviors, encourage positive use of the environment, enhance the animal's ability to cope with stressors, and reduce stereotypic behaviors. This study primarily aimed to assess the impact of environmental enrichment on laboratory rat behaviors. A group of 18 rats was selected and divided into three groups (n=6): control, physical enrichment, and feeding enrichment. The enrichment groups were provided with specific objects (a plastic tube for physical enrichment and a seed-filled cardboard roll for feeding enrichment) over a 10-day period, with open field tests conducted on days 1, 5, and 10 to evaluate time spent in central and peripheral zones. Statistical analyses were conducted in RStudio using t-test (p<0.05) to compare open field activity, water intake, and food consumption across groups. Results showed that animals exposed to environmental enrichment displayed fewer stereotypic behaviors and increased feeding frequency. Thus, assessing the impact of physical and feeding enrichment in rats of laboratory demonstrates that enrichment strategies provide positive impacts on animal welfare.

Perindopril Ameliorates Sodium Valproate-Induced Rat Model of Autism: Involvement of Sirtuin-1, JAK2/STAT3 Axis, PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Pathway, and PPAR-Gamma Signaling

Background and Objectives: Autism is a developmental disability characterized by impairment of motor functions and social communication together with the development of repetitive or stereotyped behaviors. Neither the exact etiology or the curative treatment of autism are yet completely explored. The goals of this study were to evaluate the possible effects of perindopril on a rat model of autism and to elucidate the possible molecular mechanisms that may contribute to these effects. Materials and Methods: In a rat model of sodium valproate (VPA)-induced autism, the effect of postnatal administration of different doses of perindopril on growth and motor development, social and repetitive behaviors, sirtuin-1, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway, JAK2/STAT3 axis, and PPAR-gamma signaling in the hippocampal tissues were investigated. The histopathological and electron microscopic changes elicited by administration of the different treatments were also investigated. Results: Perindopril dose-dependently combatted the effects of prenatal exposure to VPA on growth and maturation, motor development, and social and repetitive behaviors. In addition, the different doses of perindopril ameliorated the effects of prenatal exposure to VPA on sirtuin-1, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway, JAK2/STAT3 axis, and PPAR-gamma signaling. These effects had a mitigating impact on VPA-induced histopathological and electron microscopic changes in the hippocampal tissues. Conclusions: Perindopril may emerge as a promising agent for amelioration of the pathologic changes of autism spectrum disorders.

Sigma-1 receptor modulation by fluvoxamine ameliorates valproic acid-induced autistic behavior in rats: Involvement of chronic ER stress modulation, enhanced autophagy and M1/M2 microglia polarization

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. While, fluvoxamine (FVX) is an antidepressant and widely prescribed to ASD patients, clinical results are inconclusive and the mechanism of FVX in the management of ASD is unclear. This study determined the potential therapeutic impact of FVX, a sigma-1 receptor (S1R) agonist, against the valproic acid (VPA)-induced model of autism. On gestational day 12.5, Wistar pregnant rats were given a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of either VPA (600 mg/kg) or normal saline (10 mL/kg, vehicle-control). Starting on postnatal day (PND) 21 to PND 50, FVX (30 mg/kg, P·O. daily) and NE-100, (S1R) antagonist, (1 mg/kg, i.p. daily) were given to male pups. Behavior tests and histopathological changes were identified at the end of the experiment. In addition, the cerebellum biomarkers of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy were assessed. Microglial cell polarization to M1 and M2 phenotypes was also assessed. FVX effectively mitigated the histopathological alterations in the cerebellum caused by VPA. FVX enhanced sociability and stereotypic behaviors in addition to its noteworthy impact on autophagy enhancement, ER stress deterioration, and controlling microglial cell polarization. The current investigation confirmed that the S1R agonist, FVX, can lessen behavioral and neurochemical alterations in the VPA-induced rat model of autism.

FOOD SELECTION OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER ENROLLED IN NATEA CAETÉS

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is understood as a neurological disorder characterized by behavioral heterogeneity, affective blunting, and stereotypical behaviors. Objective: To understand the eating habits of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the main foods and restrictions regarding the child's diet. Methodology: This is an observational, cross-sectional study with a qualitative descriptive approach, since the objective is to observe and delve deeper into the food selectivity of autistic children. The target population will be mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder registered with NATEA in the city of Capanema. Results: The sample consisted of 42 participants, of which 85.71% were male, reflecting the male predominance frequently observed in ASD diagnoses. The most represented age group was 5 to 12 years (61.90%), and the majority of participants identified as brown (85.72%). Regarding diagnosis, 64.29% of children were diagnosed between 1 and 5 years of age, and support levels ranged from mild (33.33%), moderate (40.48%) to intense (26.19%). Regarding feeding, 80.49% of children presented food selectivity, with a greater preference for carbohydrates and sweets, and low acceptance of vegetables and fats. Mealtimes were challenging for caregivers, with 70.97% reporting greater difficulty at the beginning of meals, suggesting initial resistance to food engagement. In addition, 80% of participants reported difficulties with food consistency, highlighting the importance of adapted nutritional interventions. Conclusion: The results indicate the need for integrated strategies to improve food acceptance and provide emotional support to caregivers. It is concluded that the demographic profile, associated with food selectivity and socioeconomic difficulties, reinforces the importance of multidisciplinary support programs to promote a balanced diet and well-being for this population.

Rhynchophylline Alleviates Hyperactivity and Cognitive Flexibility Impairment Associated With Inhibition of Inflammatory Responses in Mice That Partly Lack the Dopamine Transporter Protein.

Rhynchophylline (RHY) can alleviate some cognitive flexibility impairment and stereotyped behavior for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Tourette syndrome (TS) patients as one of a keyextract and an active ingredient in Ningdong granule (NDG), which is a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation widely used in the treatment of ADHD and TS children in China; however, the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how RHY alleviates hyperactivity and cognitive flexibility impairment while inhibiting inflammatory responses in mice that partly lack dopamine transporter protein (DAT- mice). Male DAT- mice were randomly divided into the RHY group (n = 8) and administered RHY (30mg/kg) in the DAT- group (n = 8) and administered saline (i.p., 10mL/kg) in wild-type (WT) mice as the WT control group (n = 8). Hyperactivity and cognitive flexibility impairment were evaluated by the open field test (OFT) and the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The levels of the inflammatory factors of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in cortical homogenates were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) after 8 weeks of treatment with RHY. In vitro, primary microglia and astrocytes extracted from the cortices of DAT- neonatal mice and WT neonatal mice were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1mg/mL) to induce neuroinflammatory responses and with RHY (20mM) for 48h. The levels of the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) in the culture medium were measured at 6h, 24h, and 48h after treatment with LPS and RHY. RHY ameliorated hyperactivity and cognitive flexibility impairment in DAT- mice and inhibited the expression of the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS, and COX-2 in microglia and astrocytes in vitro, and also inhibited the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β in cortical homogenates after 8 weeks of treatment. RHY improved hyperactivity and cognitive flexibility impairment through inhibiting inflammatory responses in DAT- mice.

The behavior patterns of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) housed across 18 US zoos.

Interpreting animal behavior in the context of welfare can be inherently challenging given the limited behavior data available for many species housed in zoos. Describing common behavior patterns may help animal managers by providing additional background when assessing the individuals in their care. Although valuable, these efforts require a large, collaborative approach and have, consequently, been rare. Here, we share the behavior patterns of zoo-housed giraffes, an iconic and commonly housed megafauna in zoos. Behavior data were evaluated for 66 giraffes living across 18 AZA-accredited zoos using the ZooMonitor Community platform. Data were recorded during 10-minute observation sessions. Observations were conducted during daytime hours over the course of approximately one year at each zoo (mean total observed time per individual = 23.2 hr). The most common behaviors observed were feeding/ foraging behaviors, which accounted for 38.6% of the mean visible time budget across giraffes. Time spent in these behaviors varied by individual and ranged from 14.3% to 69.3% of visible time. Stereotypic behaviors occurred in all study individuals, with oral stereotypic behaviors being most common. Although prevalent, stereotypic behaviors varied considerably across giraffes, with some individuals exhibiting these behaviors only on a few occasions to an individual that exhibited these behaviors once every few minutes. This study provides a robust evaluation of giraffe behavior across zoos to present a picture of their common behavior patterns in managed care. We hope these multi-institutional behavior patterns can provide perspective to aid animal managers in evaluating giraffes in their care.

Automated home cage monitoring of an aging colony of mice-Implications for welfare monitoring and experimentation.

Our understanding of laboratory animal behavior and the implications of husbandry activities on their wellbeing remains incomplete. This is especially relevant with an aging colony as their activity patterns may change as they mature. Home Cage Monitoring (HCM) provides valuable insights into mouse activity within the animal's own environment and can shed light on acclimatization periods and responses to husbandry activities such as cage changing. The aim of this study was to monitor and explore changes in the activity and rest disturbance (RDI) patterns of an aging colony of male and female C57/BL6 mice. The mice were housed in the Digitally Ventilated Cage® system, for up to 18 months of age. Data was then downloaded to investigate how the activity patterns and RDI of the mice changed over time. Habituation, aging and cage change assessments were conducted using linear mixed models, while cage separation and stereotypic behavior investigations were conducted by visual inspection of the data. As expected during the study, mice were less active during the light phase compared to the dark phase. However, on arrival mice displayed heightened activity and RDI during the light phase and reduced activity and RDI during the dark phase, taking several days to adjust to baseline "acclimatized" patterns. With age, overall activity significantly decreased from 5 months until 14 months of age, after which it increased back toward baseline levels. We also observed activity spikes during our monitoring of this colony. Prolonged housing can lead to alarming stereotypic behaviors in animals. Cages of mice flagged for potential stereotypy displayed sustained activity spikes in the light and dark phases. Spikes in activity during the dark phase were much more pronounced than in the light phase. Cage changing led to an increase in the light phase activity and RDI compared to the previous day, with no observed difference in the dark phase post-cage change. This effect remained consistent as the animals aged. This study explores changes in the activity patterns of an aging colony of male and female C57/BL6 mice housed in the Digitally Ventilated Cage® system. We identified distinct aging phases concerning activity and RDI differences and a potential new welfare application for the DVC®, specifically for early detection of stereotypy. In conclusion, the adoption of HCM systems should be considered for long-term animal housing from both a welfare and behavioral perspective.

O LÚDICO COMO PROPOSTA ESTRATÉGICA PARA O ENSINO, APRENDIZAGEM E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE ESTUDANTES AUTISTAS

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by atypical development, behavioral manifestations, deficits in communication and social interaction, repetitive and stereotyped behavior patterns, and may include a restricted repertoire of interests and activities. It is crucial that schools are concerned with the quality of education, which requires the collective commitment of educators and students, aiming at the integral formation of citizenship through the effective construction of knowledge. In order to better understand autism within the context of regular schools and education for autistic individuals, we chose to conduct a bibliographical research, discussing the theoretical foundations relevant to the study. Upon concluding the research, we observed that the use of play as a pedagogical method can be highly effective with autistic students, providing an interesting and fun approach to learning acquisition. We recognize that autistic students have special educational needs that must be met by teachers in order to promote their development and ensure that they follow the teaching-learning process.

The Impact of Puzzle Feeders, Ice-Pops and Artificial Seaweed on Captive Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) Behaviour

Environmental enrichment is used in zoos and aquaria to improve animal welfare through the stimulation of naturalistic behaviours and reduction of stereotypic behaviours. This study investigated the impact of new enrichment items on the behaviour of a group of captive adult harbour seals. Data were collected in summer-autumn 2023 using continuous scan sampling and all behaviours one-zero recording method for 1-minute intervals (4 hours/day, 8 days). Under standard enrichment conditions, more than 90% of the seals’ behavioural budget was represented by naturalistic behaviours, with low levels of pattern group swimming, which occurred mainly before the two daily shows. Group swimming decreased and random swimming increased before the seal shows on days with new enrichment, but these differences were not statistically significant. The presence of new enrichment items led to a significant increase in exploration and a significant decrease in group swimming only during the morning periods when the new items were actually present in the enclosure (p<0.05, Kruskal Wallis test). During these periods the seals interacted most frequently with the submersed fish-filled puzzle feeders and least frequently with the floating artificial seaweed. This study concluded that new environmental enrichment may be beneficial even for seals displaying low levels of stereotypic behaviours as it provides more behavioural choices and helps promote active naturalistic exploratory behaviours which may alleviate captivity induced stress and improve welfare.

Call for Your Life: Acoustic Structure and Age‐Sex Differences in Distress Calls of Red‐Necked Nightjars

ABSTRACTPredatory interactions result in strong selection pressures acting on multiple aspects of animal behaviour. Anti‐predator strategies are therefore common in most animals, typically signalling at various stages of a predation event. Many species of caprimulgids perform conspicuous anti‐predator displays, including stereotyped behaviours and vocal signals. Here, we described distress calls of red‐necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis), produced when birds are trapped and unable to escape during a predatory interaction. Distress calls are harsh, low‐frequency guttural vocalisations with irregular amplitude modulations. The age and sex of birds partially explained the acoustic variation observed, whereas size‐related morphological features were poor predictors of the acoustic structure. Age‐sex differences in distress calls may respond to physiological constraints associated with sexual dimorphism and/or developmental variation. Alternatively, directional selection associated with differential predation risk on each age‐sex class may have resulted in the observed differences in distress calls. The extremely deep voice and the harsh quality of distress calls fit the structure of aggressive signals and may resemble those produced by a larger animal. We propose that these calls serve as a last resort strategy to reduce post‐encounter risk of predation, either as a startling effect to facilitate escape or to attract other predators that could intimidate the captor.

Proactive control for conflict resolution is intact in subclinical obsessive-compulsive individuals.

BackgroundObsessive-compulsive (OC) traits (i.e., tendency to implement stereotyped behaviors to avoid negative consequences) are transversally observed in psychiatric disorders largely differing in terms of clinical manifestations and etiopathogenesis. Interestingly, OC traits were also extensively found in the prodromal phases of the full-blown psychopathology and in healthy relatives of affected individuals. Moreover, OC traits were found to be associated—and possibly underlain by—cognitive control impairments. Nonetheless, the role of such interplay in the onset of OC disorders is yet to be understood. We hypothesized that OC traits are associated with abnormalities in proactively implement cognitive control for solving conflict.MethodsWe administered healthy individuals (n = 104) with the perifoveal spatial Stroop task to measure their ability of solving conflict in a proactive fashion, and with Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI) to stratify population according to the severity of OC traits.ResultsAnalysis of response times by means of Linear Mixed-effect models revealed that proactive control performance was not associated with and the severity of OC traits. Furthermore, an equivalence test (Two One-Sided Test) revealed that the association between OCI scores and task performance was equivalent to zero.ConclusionThese results suggest that the interplay between OC traits and proactive control abnormalities might not contribute to the development of OC-related disorders. Therefore, the role of other cognitive endophenotypes should be scrutinized for exploiting alternative prevention and intervention strategies.

Understanding the Difference Between Autism and the Autistic Spectrum: A Focus on the South African Context

Autism is a group of severe developmental disorders with impairments beginning before 30 months of age and characterized by a qualitative disturbance of social development and of language for communication, a stereotyped behaviour, and a lack of a broad set of interests. The expression of autism varies from one individual to the next. It is a communicative disorder and is not due to poor reception. The researchers drew their literature from reputable journal articles, book chapters from established publishers, and informal community conversations amid the researchers’ experiential intuition. Currently, South African children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) lack government support structures and rely primarily on families for assistance with education and therapy. An additional challenge is that in some South African black communities, autism is not recognized as a disorder. A study exploring differences in the nature, application, experience, and examination of social awareness and understanding of selected educators about new terminology in their environment found that local black teachers had less exposure to autism knowledge, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in their communities, and little understanding, awareness, or acceptance of this condition. This article underscores the crucial role of social service professionals, such as psychologists, registered counsellors, social workers, etc, in these communities. Their presence and active involvement provide hope in these challenging times. It recommends that they conduct psychotherapeutic education, which could involve awareness campaigns and counselling about psychotherapeutic education. Their role would be to provide support, guidance, and education to the community members, helping them to build their resilience to fight the coronavirus.

Barbering in Laboratory Rodents: Problems and Prospects

Barbering is a behaviorally induced alopecia (hair and whisker biting) often observed in laboratory mice and rats. The role of this behavior is actively discussed, in particular, its relationship with stress, aggression, grooming and aberrant stereotypic behavior. Understanding the nature of barbering and its content in the state of laboratory animals is an important factor to consider in experimental work. Here, we discuss recent data on the neurobiology and genetics of barbering, as well as its role in the behavior and central nervous system of rodents.

Transient CSF1R inhibition ameliorates behavioral deficits in Cntnap2 knockout and valproic acid-exposed mouse models of autism

Microglial abnormality and heterogeneity are observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients and animal models of ASD. Microglial depletion by colony stimulating factor 1-receptor (CSF1R) inhibition has been proved to improve autism-like behaviors in maternal immune activation mouse offspring. However, it is unclear whether CSF1R inhibition has extensive effectiveness and pharmacological heterogeneity in treating autism models caused by genetic and environmental risk factors. Here, we report pharmacological functions and cellular mechanisms of PLX5622, a small-molecule CSF1R inhibitor, in treating Cntnap2 knockout and valproic acid (VPA)-exposed autism model mice. For the Cntnap2 knockout mice, PLX5622 can improve their social ability and reciprocal social behavior, slow down their hyperactivity in open field and repetitive grooming behavior, and enhance their nesting ability. For the VPA model mice, PLX5622 can enhance their social ability and social novelty, and alleviate their anxiety behavior, repetitive and stereotyped autism-like behaviors such as grooming and marble burying. At the cellular level, PLX5622 restores the morphology and/or number of microglia in the somatosensory cortex, striatum, and hippocampal CA1 regions of the two models. Specially, PLX5622 corrects neurophysiological abnormalities in the striatum of the Cntnap2 knockout mice, and in the somatosensory cortex, striatum, and hippocampal CA1 regions of the VPA model mice. Incidentally, microglial dynamic changes in the VPA model mice are also reported. Our study demonstrates that microglial depletion and repopulation by transient CSF1R inhibition is effective, and however, has differential pharmacological functions and cellular mechanisms in rescuing behavioral deficits in the two autism models.

Friend or foe? Early life adversity to improve farmed animal welfare

Early life experiences can have lasting impacts on an animal’s development. Extensive research evidence aligns across both human and non-human rodent and primate laboratory animals showing negative impacts of early life adversity such as impairments in neurological and behavioural development. Farmed animals experience a range of adversities across their production lifetimes, often early in life, including species atypical social groupings, invasive husbandry procedures, and transport. Correspondingly, farmed animals also demonstrate a wide range of impairments such as stereotypic, injurious, and other abnormal behaviours. An individual, however, needs to experience adversity to be able to develop resilience and coping mechanisms that facilitate dealing with challenges later in life. Not all individuals will experience stress vulnerability following adversity, with some individuals instead developing stress resilience. This mini review collates evidence on the positive effects of early life adversity on improving adaptability in farmed species, both terrestrial and aquatic. While evidence across farmed animal species is currently much less than for humans, laboratory rodents or non-human primates, similar patterns emerge where mild adversity early in life, can improve the adaptability of the animal in the face of future stressors. Many views of optimised welfare posit that farmed animals should be housed in as natural environments as possible to limit many of the typical adversities they face. However, strategic mild exposure to early life adversity may facilitate improved animal welfare under intensive commercial farming conditions. Future research into this area could provide management tools to better predict and promote stress resilience over stress vulnerability.

Gender Roles of Women in Russian Parodies

The article talks about gender stereotypes in Russian proverbs and sayings. Gender stereotypes are a reflection of the traditional patriarchal code of linguistic culture, since the main value paradigms have been formed in society for centuries. Russian paroemias reflect gender relations, they still contain disappearing ideas about the role of women and men in society; they preserve the history of changed (or remaining) worldview stereotypes of gender behavior. Gender representations of men and women in paremiology show how stereotypes have been formed over the centuries. Gender roles of women in Russian parodies: the role of a woman in the family (wife, mother-in-law, mother-in-law, daughter, mother-granddaughter, aunt, sisterin-law, daughter-in-law, etc.); the role of a woman in accordance with social status (widow, unmarried maiden, matchmaker, etc.); the role of a woman in accordance with family and social ties (matchmaking, godmother, etc.) shows that women were in a dependent position. Their whole life was built in relation to the patriarchal model of family and marriage, which was completely dominated by men, which is explained by the historically established type of social relations.